Block storage systems in storage area networks (SANs) make their storage available as logical units (LUNs) so that they can be used by hosts, for example to create a file system on these blocks as needed or raw volume usage for databases. Network attached storage (NAS) system on the other side typically expose a logical structure to clients in the form of files and directories referred to as ‘shares’ or ‘exports’. These exports are accessed directly by the consuming clients through standardized file access protocols such as CIFS (Common Internet File System), NFS (Network File System) and others.
Files exposed via network attached storage (NAS) have metadata associated which typically includes information such as their access control lists (ACL), owner information, timestamps (creation, modification) and much more.
A limited common set of basic functions typically is exposed via the network attached storage (NAS) protocols. This includes basic operations such as creation or deletion of files or directories. In addition to these basic functions a network attached storage (NAS) system provides many advanced functions such as various forms of data replication, remote caching, control of lower level files system entities such as file system constructs, space efficient copies of directories and files, control of data placement policies for information life cycle management (ILM) and more. These advanced functions are in most cases vendor specific. Management of more advanced features is primarily done via dedicated management interfaces and network connections such as graphical user interface (GUI) or command-line interface (CLI). This is referred to as ‘out-of-band’ management.
‘In-band’ management on the other side is done over existing file access interfaces and networks. Such in-band management capabilities of prior art network attached storage (NAS) systems are limited to the network attached storage (NAS) protocol capabilities and as such cannot easily be extended or customized to include vendor specific advanced functions. In addition it is common practice to access the same network attached storage (NAS) exports via multiple protocols without having a common set of management capabilities across these protocols (such as CIFS, NFS, FTP, HTTP, etc.).
Typical network attached storage (NAS) system includes base system components including a server and storage hardware and controllers. Sitting on top of these basic components are one or more file systems which include the files and directories that are exposed via the network attached storage (NAS) protocols. These exports are accessed over the network by network attached storage (NAS) clients. Management of these network attached storage (NAS) system with prior art is only possible to the full extend via the administrative network attached storage (NAS) clients connected via dedicated management interfaces and networks that communicate to a network attached storage (NAS) internal management component.
In the Patent Application Publication US 2009/0037934 A1 a method and system for configuration and management of client access to network attached storage are disclosed. Disclosed embodiments of the publication provide for automated client-computer connection to network attached storage (NAS) objects within a networked computer system. Disclosed embodiments of the publication, propose a dedicated management channel/interface that consists of a master and client agent along with some network attached storage (NAS) object monitoring component. Using these components a method is described that exchanges “executable code blocks” and notifications between the client and the server storage system. The method describes how an administrator can manage network attached storage (NAS) clients in a network attached storage (NAS) environment via a master agent.